2 Executive Summary

Overwhelming evidence highlights that the most innovative, dynamic, and high-performing organizations prioritize culture as a means of optimizing organizational effectiveness and transformation. For this reason, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is committed to nurturing an organizational culture that leverages diversity to innovate and perform at the highest levels while also increasing staff performance.

NSF’s Office of the Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (OCDIO) has developed the Culture Forward Strategy to promote a workplace where a robust organizational culture rooted in DEIA is the outcome, not just a process. This strategy outlines the foundational elements of an organizational culture that allows diversity in all its forms to thrive and is anchored by practical, high-impact initiatives, including:

• The Denison Model of Organizational Culture: Creates a pragmatic approach to strengthening culture by identifying growth areas and translating those into action plans.
• The Underrepresentation and Barrier Analysis Tool: Generates predictions about the potential ramifications of policy changes on the workforce makeup and promotes informed decision-making, especially around hiring and retention practices.
• The Culture Forward Maturity Model: Provides a roadmap for the agency to progress from a compliance-based culture to an inclusive culture, enabling NSF to operationalize inclusion and belonging.
• The Leader Reflection Tool: A self-guided assessment tool that provides leaders with insights into how inclusive their leadership practices are and how they can foster a culture of inclusion in their office or directorate.
• The Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Data Action Plan: Addresses the unmet need for data on SOGI in the federal workforce. The CDIO is leading an interagency effort to pilot the collection of SOGI data within the federal government and scientific workforces.
• The Creating SPACE (Strength, Psychological Safety, Action, Compassion, and Empathy) Program: Offers NSF leaders and staff opportunities to enhance and deepen their cultural intelligence and ability to recognize and adapt to cultural differences.

The Culture Forward Strategy incorporates continuous integration efforts to establish governance and leverage existing resources, including agency-wide Equity Ecosystem (EE) efforts to advance culture internally and externally, and Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) as sources of ideas and engines for change. The accompanying Implementation Plan aims to enhance and monitor NSF’s high-impact activities, allowing the CDIO to integrate key drivers and initiatives to foster a strong organizational culture beyond the agency’s boundaries.

By integrating the activities of both frameworks, NSF can create an inclusive, adaptable, empowering, and results-driven culture. This approach will enable the organization to leverage its diverse talent pool to drive innovation, address complex challenges, and ultimately advance its mission to “promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; and to secure the national defense” on a national and global level.

CDIO Vision

To be the Nation’s thought leader and catalyst in leveraging holistic culture intelligence that continuously reimagine and operationalize the synergy of diversity and merit.

CDIO Mission

To promote and support the full spectrum of diverse talent, skills, abilities, experience and representation that society has to offer for scientific advancement, national security, and the well-being of all.